10 Iconic Moments of Indian Cricket in 2023

Moments that come during a game define the sport. Cricket is no different. All it takes is a single moment to win a game, to clinch a World Cup, to become an unsung hero, and to break millions of hearts. 2023 was no different. Some created history, and some of them rewrote history. Some empires continued rising to the top, some fell on the floor within a moment. It was not an easy task to point out the exact top 10 moments of Cricket in 2023 so, in this article, we'll look at the 10 iconic moments of Indian Cricket in 2023.

Also Read: Most International Runs in 2023

Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI centuries was not an easy one to break. Everyone thought it was impossible except the Master Blaster himself and the King of Cricket, Virat Kohli. The Delhi boy kept breaking records by scoring runs, smashing centuries, and winning plenty of matches for India. The day finally arrived when he broke the 49 ODI Centuries record by scoring the 50th ODI Century.

On November 15, during the ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final at Wankhede against New Zealand, Virat became the first player to smash 50 ODI centuries, achieving this feat in front of his idol, who was clapping for him in joy and pride in the audience.

Virat did not forget that he was a kid growing up on Sachin's heroics on the field, acknowledging the Master Blaster's claps with a bow which is not just an iconic moment of 2023 but surely go down as one of the top iconic moments in the history of Cricket.

ICT Fans enjoy the moment 😍 pic.twitter.com/iWUqnk4XMd

— 𝕂𝕠𝕙𝕝𝕚𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕟 🇮🇳 (@bholistan) November 15, 2023

The Final of the Asia Cup 2023 was played between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo on September 17. The pacer's spell of 6/21 in seven overs destroyed the Lankan team completely and bundled them out for just 50 in 15.2 overs. Siraj took the whole match away from Sri Lanka during the powerplay, reducing them to 12/6 at one point. India then went on to win the match by 10 wickets and claimed their eighth Asia Cup title.

Team India broke the record for the biggest victory (by runs) in ODIs as they defeated Sri Lanka by 317 runs in the third and final match of the ODI series in Thiruvananthapuram. India broke New Zealand's record (by 290 runs) to script history at the Greenfield Stadium. After batting first, India scored a mammoth total of 390/5 in fifty overs and then bowled out Sri Lanka in only 22 overs, at a total of 73.

Virat Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 166 off just 110 deliveries, hitting 13 fours and eight sixes. The 24-year-old Shubman Gill had also smashed a brilliant 116 off just 97 deliveries.

Shubman Gill had his breakthrough year in international cricket where he scored 2,154 runs in 48 matches with an average of 46.82 and finishes the calendar year with the most international runs in 2023 across all formats.

Gill's best knock came during India's ODI match against New Zealand in Hyderabad on January 18, when he scored 208 runs from 149 balls. He became the youngest batter to score a double century in ODIs.

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc and KKR created history on December 19, 2023, during the IPL 2024 auction. He became the most expensive player in the tournament's history after being signed for Rs 24.75 crore by the Kolkata Knight Riders. It could have been the 2024 auction but is included in the list because the auction was held in 2023.

The IPL 2023 had a fairytale ending as he hit the 10 runs required in the final two balls to win Chennai Super Kings (CSK) its fifth title. Jadeja struck a four in the last delivery to seal a five-wicket victory for Chennai in the final.

Among the ones who rushed to Jadeja following this win was Dhoni, who could not even score a run in the final. With tears in his eyes, Dhoni lifted Jadeja in the air which is surely one of the most iconic moments of Indian Cricket in 2023.

Yashasvi Jaiswal made his Test debut for India against the West Indies in Roseau on July 12, and in his first inning, the 22-year-old scored 171 runs. He became the 17th Indian batter to score a century on debut. He also became the fifth youngest batter to score a 150 on Test debut at 21 years and 196 days of age at the beginning of the Test.

Rinku Singh produced a sensational performance for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the side's 2023 Indian Premier League game against Gujarat Titans. He smashed five successive sixes when the side needed 28 to win off the last five balls. Yash Dayal was at the receiving end as Kolkata Knight Riders registered an unbelievable three-wicket victory over the defending Champions in Ahmedabad.

In a thrilling final, MI, the most successful IPL franchise in men's cricket, secured its first-ever WPL title beating Delhi Capitals by seven wickets. Harmanpreet Kaur led her side to the inaugural WPL title. MI clinched winning streaks of five matches and then three, with two losses in the middle, to claim the title. They were the favourites and ultimately, delivered in the right moment.

Australia played out a draw in the final Test in Ahmedabad but India took the series 2-1 and won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the fourth successive time. India qualified for the World Test Championship final where they faced Australia at The Oval but unfortunately, India lost the final.